How to make the perfect Musky Quick Strike Rig?

[Spike-A-Pike]

How would you make the perfect quick strike rig for Muskies? Most of the quick strike rigs I've seen have all used stiff heavy coated wire.

I would like to try using fluorocarbon. I think I

[Zib]

I've been thinking about making my own quick-strike rig out of fluoro myself.

Here's some instruction from In-Fisherman's site:

http://www.in-fisherman.com/magazine/exclusives/if0612_QuickStrike/index.html

[Orion]

What exactly is a quick strike rig?

[Spike-A-Pike]

Zib.

What a great read on quick strike rigs and options for them making them. While they give no specifics for quick strike rigs with Fluorocarbon line, I don't think I have had enough experience with it to make more than an educated guess, and would start with either a 40 or 50 pound test. My idea is to make it light, flexible, close to invisible.

Orion - A quick strike rig is a bait rig for musky and large pike. Usually used with a 8 to 12 inch sucker minnow, larger if you can find larger suckers.

[philB]

Bruce

Youv'e really got me confused with this one mate. It seems to me that the terminology 'Quick strike rig' refers to what us on this side of the pond know as a 'trace' which is the end link between the mainline and the lure, please correct me if I am wrong. If this is indeed one of the same then I have to say I do not think Fluorocarbon would be a good idea at all as the Fluorocarbons I know are just like a nylon monofilament and will cut through real easy with a Muskie tooth as indeed it would with our northern pike here in the UK, the only material for me is wire, either solid or multistrand.

philB

[philB]

Bruce

Youv'e really got me confused with this one mate. It seems to me that the terminology 'Quick strike rig' refers to what us on this side of the pond know as a 'trace' which is the end link between the mainline and the lure, please correct me if I am wrong. If this is indeed one of the same then I have to say I do not think Fluorocarbon would be a good idea at all as the Fluorocarbons I know are just like a nylon monofilament and will cut through real easy with a Muskie tooth as indeed it would with our northern pike here in the UK, the only material for me is wire, either solid or multistrand.

philB

Since posting this I read the link (I must look/read more closely at threads). Fluorocarbon is not a good idea. There are new generation wires available now which are wire but as limp as cotton and can be knotted.I will get details and post here.

[philB]

Jeez 3 posts in 10 mins, I'm embarrassed. Anyway here is a link to the wire I refer to Sovereign 49-strand Nova silk wire. This stuff is unbelievable. I only saw it for the first time last week and it really is as limp as cotton. You CAN knot it and loop it and it is indestructible. It does not kink and if it gets twisted or curled you literally grab it between finger and thumb and run them down the length of the trace and the twists and kinks just disappear.

philB

[Spike-A-Pike]

Phil.

I would say that a trace is very similar to what we call a leader, a method of protecting the last 18 to 24 inches of main line that connects to the hook or lure. The type of leader I'm referring to has a treble hook at the every end of the line, a second treble or "J" hook between the first hook and a swivel, and can slide on the line to very the distance between the two hooks. The latest generation of Fluorocarbons are making some incredible claims making it very tempting to try. The abrasion resistance and the way it disappears in water would almost make it perfect for tying into a big musky.

What do you think Pop?

[philB]

Jeez 3 posts in 10 mins, I'm embarrassed. Anyway here is a link to the wire I refer to Sovereign 49-strand Nova silk wire. This stuff is unbelievable. I only saw it for the first time last week and it really is as limp as cotton. You CAN knot it and loop it and it is indestructible. It does not kink and if it gets twisted or curled you literally grab it between finger and thumb and run them down the length of the trace and the twists and kinks just disappear.

philB

http://www.sovereignsuperbaits.co.uk/Accessories/Trace_Making/trace_making.html

Link as promised

[Pop]

I don't think Musky is as leader shy as other fish, especially when using live bait. We know they aren't boat shy as many of them hit at the boat, so why would they be leader shy? What philB is talking about sounds like it might be the best option, but; I don't know if you can purchase it here in the states, I have not heard of it before. Will need to do a search. I was thinking about titanium which I understand you can tie just like mono and doesn't kink. (Maybe that is the same as philB is talking about and we just use other terminology) The link to the In-Fisherman article is a great help and really appreciated. I know there is a way to tie the movable hook to your leader as I saw it in a book years ago. My goal is to have these ready for the spring thaw. I'll pass on whatever I find. Pop

[Spike-A-Pike]

Pop.

I was hoping you'd jump in. That leader thread had gone it's course, when you brought up quick strike rigs, it seemed worthy of a new thread. There are several 49-strand leader wires for sale in 30 ft lengths and longer. I think I lived in MO just long enough to say "Show Me".

I've heard to the titanium leaders too. I think I'm going to have make a run towards St. Charles and a Bass Pro and Cabela's run. It drives me crazy that I know I can go into the Gander Mountain in Rothschild, WI and find great selection of all things Musky... and 30 minutes from the house, just over an hour from some pretty good musky fishing, they'll only begin to understand what I'm looking for if I explain it in terms of catfish.

[clemmy]

Bruce,

I think a fluorocarbon quick strike rig is an excellent idea!

If you do a search for "fluorocarbon leader" you might find out more info on the tag end. A couple of things: heat shrink (red??) is a good idea for the top hook, but you might have to watch for the line cutting through it. Also fluoro is abrasion resistant, but if it gets a nick it weakens quickly, so check the line after each fish/snag. Another thing you might search is rigging suppies thimble as saltwater rigging for big tuna and billfish might have some goodies, like those cool swivel within a swivel 3-ways, and hook slides. Lastly, I know I've seen qick strick hooks before, I think maybe at Moore's or Luremaking...if you have a hard time finding them let me know. (I'm at work at the moment)

Hope this helps!

Clemmy

[Spike-A-Pike]

Clemmy.

I think I'm going to be busy playing around with several ideas this summer. I want to find the best rig for most conditions... I don't know if it's realistic to think there is one perfect rig.

[Pop]

I also am going to see what I can come up with. I'm concentrating on the titanium. I might even buy a rig or two for the ideas. John

[clemmy]

Bruce,

I just happened across this and remembered this topic. Just in case you didn't want to re-invent the wheel:

Stealth Fishing Leaders Fishing tackle and Fishing Products

Clemmy

[Spike-A-Pike]

I'm still up in the air on the subject. I had read somewhere that a little vegetable oil used to lubricate the knot just before you tighten it makes it tighter overall.

[MTfishingrods]

Bruce,

If you read the in fisherman article above, I have done all of my rigs exactly like the very first one they demonstrate for you. I started using the heat shrink, then went to just ruber tubing, then changed to the little metal crimpable sleaves for making leaders and thats what I settled on. I am still using the nylon coated wire and dont feel that it is scaring the fish too bad and it is cheap. However I am going to try some of the new tyable wire this year also. I have rigs made up with red trebles, plain trebles, trebles with one tine cut off one red one plain, o ne treble one single. And I have settled on two types. All plain treble, and all red treble. Sometimes it seems like they like the red, sometimes not. Well ya got my .02 cents worth. that and another 5 bucks might buy ya a fresh bag of smelt. LOL I would like to know if you find something better.

[Piscivorous Pike]

I found my first quick strike instructions in an In-fisherman book, PIKE, by the Lindners. Here at amazon, likely can find instructions on the In-Fisherman.com site too about making QS rigs.

http://www.amazon.com/Pike-Fisherman-Handbook-Strategies-Lindner/dp/0929384520/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1259447182&sr=1-2

I used nylon coated 7-strand wire leaders for the QS. I used 18-20 inches terminating at a treble hook and on the cable you loop a loop through a crimp but do not crimp it. On the loop you put a smaller treble. This allows you to slide the middle treble around. For big baits you could add a second sliding treble. The big treble hooks into the head or lip of the bait and the smaller one on the back at a balance point so it will suspend.

Really I am answering this to tell you about a recent discovery. Boa titanium leader wire. It is the only single strand wire that you can tie knots into as if it were line. Different from all other titanium. This is what I am switching to in my QS rigs. I have had pike cut 60# Seaguar flourocarbon leaders with their teeth.

http://www.malinco.com/fishing/boa.html

[ROWINGADUBAY]

I found my first quick strike instructions in an In-fisherman book, PIKE, by the Lindners. Here at amazon, likely can find instructions on the In-Fisherman.com site too about making QS rigs.

http://www.amazon.com/Pike-Fisherman-Handbook-Strategies-Lindner/dp/0929384520/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1259447182&sr=1-2

I used nylon coated 7-strand wire leaders for the QS. I used 18-20 inches terminating at a treble hook and on the cable you loop a loop through a crimp but do not crimp it. On the loop you put a smaller treble. This allows you to slide the middle treble around. For big baits you could add a second sliding treble. The big treble hooks into the head or lip of the bait and the smaller one on the back at a balance point so it will suspend.

Really I am answering this to tell you about a recent discovery. Boa titanium leader wire. It is the only single strand wire that you can tie knots into as if it were line. Different from all other titanium. This is what I am switching to in my QS rigs. I have had pike cut 60# Seaguar flourocarbon leaders with their teeth.

http://www.malinco.com/fishing/boa.html

[ROWINGADUBAY]

Sorry about the last post but I make my quick strikes just like Mr. pike I also make them out of flourocarbon using a 1/4 inch piece of stripped wire insullation instead of an un crimped crimp I do change the rig after each fish and re tie the used one I also keep my spares on a piece of a foam pool toy called a noodle

[Muskiefool]

Why such small hooks? also whats the advantage of Flouro for a quick strike.

[mainbutter]

I just wanted to say this quick:

Fluorocarbon, especially at bigger diameters, is a pretty tooth-resistant material. Last summer I did all my bass and pike fishing (since the lakes I was fishing had them in similar waters) with 25lb fluoro leader. I decided to forgo steel leaders because I was tired of such negatively buoyant materials screwing up my lure action.

Many, MANY small and medium pike, a half dozen over 35'', and a half dozen muskies INCLUDING a 45''er and a 48''er later, I never lost a fish due to the fluorocarbon failing. I checked it regularly during the day and if there were any nicks that concerned me, I just tied on a new 8'' or so of leader material.

~100lb test fluorocarbon is regularly used as leader material for musky fishing. I have often used 100lb monofilament for shark fishing leader.

In summation:

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FLUOROCARBON IS TOUGH MATERIAL AND IS GOOD FOR MUSKIE BITE PROTECTION (though it's not 100% bite proof, but then again I've seen steel leaders fail as well)

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